Colorado Ski Seasons Expected to Shorten in Coming Years

Despite heavy winter snowfall last winter across Western Colorado, ski seasons will become shorter in the future. That’s according to University of Colorado Boulder Climatologist Jim White.

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KSJD Newscast Part 2--April 19th, 2017

“The ski industry has been keeping track of when ski season starts and when it ends for quite some time,” White said. “We’ve noticed a loss of days in the fall and a loss of days in the spring.”

White said a warming global climate will lead to more water in the atmosphere and warmer wintertime temperatures, bringing more rain than snow to the mountains. He predicted a loss of one to two skiable days per year in Colorado, and an eventual loss of any snow to ski areas below 9,000 feet.